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The Bartlebees - Urban Folk Legends (1998)
7:54 PM
Now that I mentioned them covering Patrik Fitzgerald's Safety pin stuck in my heart (see two posts down), I feel obliged to share this gem. The Bartlebees were basically a German clone of the Television Personalities (and in fact regularly collaborated with Dan Treacy), who (unwillingly, some cynics might say) had a distinct charme with their thick accents, tone-deaf singing, and over-the-top naive lyrics. Nevertheless, they've released some of the finest songs coming out of the Bavarian woods.
The highlight surely is the excellent Patrik Fitzgerald cover (which I had on repeat for a few days), but this record is full of pleasant surprises. Some tracks are in line with their somewhat clumsy earlier records, on others they're playfully experimenting with styles they've never touched before (stereo effects? I thought you guys were garage!). And Then Suddenly even steers into c86/shoegazing territory and manages to sound better than most of the stuff that influenced them.
Easily the most accessible Bartlebees album out there, and a highly recommended starting point for the band. For a more authentic collection of typical Bartlebees songs watch out for the 26-track compilation of early recordings From Paths of Pain to Jewels of Glory, which I'll post sometime in the future.
